Monday, February 2, 2009

The Homesteading Carnival #81: The February Celebrations Edition

Welcome to The Homesteading Carnival #81: The February Celebrations Edition.

When I think about the month of February, holidays like Valentines Day and Presidents Day come to mind. After doing a little Googling though, I learned that there are over one-hundred special holidays and observances during this month. A few of them are "homestead-ish" in nature, so I thought it would be fun to highlight them in this edition.

Gather up your family in the kitchen, and grab your mixing bowls and spatulas because February is Bake for Family Fun Month! Check out these entries for some great recipes, baking and otherwise, and memories that you can make with your family this month.

Amy at The Hughes Mob shares how blessed she is by her little ones as they make memories together outdoors and in the kitchen in A Brisk Walk.

And while we're on the subject of budgets, Erin at Five Dollar Dinners offers us a month's worth of dinners that you can prepare for around five dollars in her January Meal Plan. While you're there, check out her recipe index for more economic and tasty dishes.

Want some tips on saving money on the ingredients you use in the kitchen? Then click on over to Mommy Snacks where Andrea gives us some incredibly helpful grocery shopping and couponing tips in A Beginner's Guide to Savings.

On February 2nd, people everywhere anxiously await the appearance of that most famous of groundhogs, Puxatawney Phil. Will he see his shadow? Whether or not he does, it's never to early to begin thinking about a spring garden.

Children and gardening can't help but go hand and hand. Melissa from In the Sparrow's Nest gets us in the gardening mood as she shares a project she and her family completed last year in Raised Beds and Perennials. She also shares some great tips for gardening with your children!

Did you know that February boasts International Hoof Care Week? Also, the World AG Expo, the largest agricultural exposition in the world, is being held this month in California.

What's the first thing that usually comes to mind when you think of February? Might it be love? In addition to Valentines Day on February 14th, the entire week of the 8th through the 14th has been deemed Celebration of Love Week. And what better way to show your love than to stitch it up in a special sewing project and give it to your loved one? There are some wonderful ideas here for projects that inspire even this non-seamstress to thread her needle and give one of these a try.

If you're sewing-challenged like me and need a useful gift for the seamstress in your life, take a peek at these adorable Teacup Pincushions that Abi from the Lighter Side Just Had to Share. She has posted pictures of the ones her daughter made as a gift for her along with a link to directions for making your own.

I cannot mention February and Valentines Day without including the gift of chocolate. Josanne at A Chocolate Bouquet inspires us to make a pretty and tasty Valentines Day arrangement in Make a Chocolate Bouquet. I can't wait to try my hand at making (and eating) one of these.

February is National Birdwatching Month, and although it may seem too cold to get outside in certain parts of the country, there are still lots of ways we can enjoy God's beautiful creation this time of the year.

Hi, I'm Shannon. Welcome to my little home on the web. I'm blessed to be a daughter of the King, wife to my best friend, and homeschooling Mama to three precious children. I write about our homeschooling adventures, plans, resources, travels, family memories, and anything else that's on my mind. We use a lot of Charlotte Mason's ideas in our homeschool and enjoy unit studies too. I hope that you find something encouraging or helpful here!